Device for enabling persons with paresis of lower limps to walk

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns a device for enabling persons with paresis of lower limbs to walk. The invention is characterised by the fact, that has the vertical elements ( 1 ) consisting of at least two members, an upper member ( 2 ) and the lower member ( 3 ) being adjustable in relation to each other, interconnected by a jacket ( 6 ) consisting of a three sided frame with two shorter and one longer sides, joined by corners ( 7 ) at their respective ends, where the remaining longer side constitutes a closure ( 8 ), where the corners ( 7 ) at the longer side having respective connecting bushes ( 9 ), being adjustably connected with respective connecting bar ( 10 ), and the corners at the shorter side having connecting bushes ( 11 ) being adjustably connected with connecting bar ( 12 ) where the closure ( 8 ) consists of a member ( 13 ) having at its either side adjustable connectors ( 14 ), one of which being pivotally attached to one of connecting bar ( 12 ) of the shorter side of the jacket frame, the other being disconnectedly connected to a lock ( 15 ) mounted at the end of respective connecting bar ( 12 ) of the opposite shorter side of the jacket frame, and where the shorter sides of the jacket frame, having mounted to them, from above, two adjustable armpit supports ( 17 ). The device has clamping rings ( 19 ) for user&#39;s tights which are mounted to their respective connectors ( 20 ), which in turn are mounted adjustably and pivotally to said vertical elements ( 1 ). The lower ends of the vertical elements ( 1 ) are secured flexibly into mounting bushes ( 23 ) fixed to the upper surfaces of the skids ( 24 ), near middle of the skids&#39; respective external edges, where the flexible connection constitutes a coupling ( 25 ) of an elastic and flexible material. Additionally, to the external surface of the mounting bushes ( 23 ) are fixed the respective ends of a stabilising rod ( 27 ) with adjustable length.

[0001] The object of the invention is a device for enabling persons with paresis of lower limps to walk.

[0002] There are known devices which enable handicapped persons to walk; one of those devices being described in Polish patent No 176092, consisting of two parallel, flat, quadric mechanisms, situated symmetrically in relation to the vertical axis of the user, and where the axes of rotation of the bar linkages of the mechanisms correspond with the hip joints of the user, and where the quadric mechanisms are interconnected by intermediary of a leading, non-planar, quadric mechanism equipped with four elements, whose linkages have their axis of rotation traversing in the centre of the respective hip joint of the user.

[0003] There is also known another device for aiding walking, described in Polish pending patent (P-319821) consisting of an active, elliptical jacket, fixed to a mechanism to change the direction of walk, open in its rear part and equipped with a locking device, and having two vertical members for forward motion, equipped with two fixed cylindrical clamping rings for user's tights, open in their rear part, the lower portions of the vertical members being equipped with platforms for user's feet, to which there are rigidly fixed shoe skids, touching the floor to be walked on.

[0004] There is yet another known device for enabling persons with paresis of legs to walk, described in Polish pending patent No P-337403, consisting of two vertical elements, at either side of a jacket, and being twice bent inwards at their lower portions with two horizontal sections, and being attached by a pivot joint to triangle connections at upper portions, the triangle connections being pivotally fixed with their sides to respective sides of the jacket frame, while said horizontal sections being equipped with skids, having fixed to them semi-circularly bent outwards supports, where the diameter of said semi-circular supports being 1,5 to 2,5 times greater than length of horizontal sections of bent parts of the vertical elements and where to the jacket frame in its forward part being pivotally fixed a triangle lever, to the bars of which being mounted flexible connectors, fixed at their other end to pivot elements consisting of a support for person's back, where to the lower ends of the vertical elements within their pivot mounting with the skids, there are mounted Bowden cables, one at either side. Additionally, the skids, in the vicinity of the semicircular supports, are interconnected by telescopic connectors.

[0005] All devices described above have their jackets equipped with protruding supports for the person's armpits, facilitating the person's walking.

[0006] The inconvenience of all known devices consists of a lack of the possibility of adjusting the height of device's vertical elements to the user's height, as well as the size of the jacket to the user's corpulence.

[0007] Device for enabling persons with paresis of lower limps to walk, according to the present invention, consists of two vertical elements with handles for the user's hands, said elements being interconnected at their upper part by a jacket with an internal frame, and being equipped with armpit supports situated at the side of said vertical elements upper ends, further said vertical elements having fixed to their lower ends skids with foot platforms, and having clamping rings for the user's tights, fixed to said vertical elements in their lower portion, where the vertical elements consist of at least two members, being adjustable in relation to each other, the jacket consists of a three sided frame with two shorter and one longer sides, joined by corners at their respective ends, where the remaining longer side constitutes a closure, where the corners at the longer and shorter sides having respective connecting bushes, being adjustably connected with respective connecting bars, and where the closure consists of a member having at either side adjustable connectors, one of which being pivotally attached to one of the connecting bars at the shorter side of the jacket frame, the other being attachable to a lock mounted at the end of a respective connecting bar at the opposite shorter side of the jacket frame, and where the shorter sides of the jacket frame, having mounted to them, from above, two adjustable armpit supports. Said clamping rings for user's tights are mounted to their respective connectors, which in turn are mounted adjustably and pivotally to said vertical elements. The lower ends of the vertical elements are flexibly secured into mounting bushes connected to the upper surfaces of the skids, near the middle of the skids' respective external edges, where the flexible connection constitutes a coupling of an elastic and flexible material. Additionally, to the external surface of the mounting bushes are attached the respective ends of a stabilising rod with adjustable length.

[0008] Due to the adjustable members of the vertical elements, and adjustable armpit supports, as well as because of adjustable connecting bars of the jacket frame, it is possible to fit the device to the height and corpulence of the person who uses it.

[0009] The object, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will be appreciated and better understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment when considered with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts and wherein:

[0010]FIG. 1 shows lateral view of the device according to the invention,

[0011]FIG. 2 shows a detail of fixing the lower end of the vertical element,

[0012]FIG. 3 shows the device viewed from the rear, and

[0013]FIG. 4 shows the device viewed from above.

[0014] The device according to the present invention consists of two vertical elements 1 which in turn consist of two members, respectively upper member 2 and lower member 3 where said lower members 3 are respectively, and adjustably inserted into upper members 2 equipped with screws 4 enabling to fix the required length of the vertical elements 1. The upper ends of the members 2 are equipped with handles 5 for the hands of the user. The upper members 2 at their top ends, are interconnected by a jacket 6, which is fixed to the members 2 by connectors 18. Said jacket 6 consists of a three sided frame having corners 7 and a closure 8 Said corners 7 are equipped with connecting bushes 9 situated at the longer side of the jacket frame, where they are adjustably, connected with a connecting bar 10 situated within the longer side of the jacket 6. The corners 7, at the shorter sides of the jacket 6 also have connecting bushes 11, into which are inserted adjustable connecting bars 12 Said closure 8 of the jacket 6 consists of an elongated connecting bush 13 into which, at either end, are inserted connecting bars 14, where one connecting bar 14 is pivotally mounted to one of the connecting bars 12 and the other connecting bar 14 is mounted, by means of the lock 15 to the other connecting bar 12. The connecting bushes 9, connecting bushes 11 and elongated bush 13 are equipped with screws 16, which enable to block the relative position of respective connecting bushes and connecting bars. To the shorter sides of the jacket 6, are mounted, from above, in adjustable, displaceable manner (not shown) armpit supports 17. On the lower members 3 of the vertical elements 1 are mounted displaceable connectors 21, each consisting of two bushes pivotally cross interconnected; into one of the bushes is inserted the lower member 3; into the other bush is inserted one end of displaceable rods 20 bent at right angle, and fixed in their position by screws 22. To the other end of the rods 20 are mounted clamping rings 19 for user's tights. The bottom ends of the lower members 3 of the vertical elements 1 are flexibly fixed into mounting bushes 23 fixed to the upper surfaces of the skids 24 near the middle of the skids' respective external edges, and the flexible connection of the members 3 and mounting bushes 23 is a coupling of an elastic and flexible material. Additionally, to the external surface of the mounting bushes 23 are fixed the respective ends of a stabilising rod 27 with adjustable length, and to the internal surfaces of the skids 24 are attached platforms 28 for the user's feet. Said handles 5 for user's hands have attached side shields 29 All external surfaces of the jacket 6, armpit supports 17 and shields 29 are padded with a covering 30 of soft material.

[0015] Upon untightening the screws 4 it becomes possible to shift the members 2 to thus adjust the device to the user's height ; then by changing the height of the armpit supports 17 to adjust them to the user's comfort, and by untightening screws 16, it become possible to adjust the jacket 6 to the corpulence of the user.

[0016] The action of walking with the device according to present invention is carried out in a manner as follow: by changing the location of the user's centre of gravity, caused by swinging movements of the upper part of the user's body, lifting of one and then another skid 24 is completed, which, in connection with small movements of user's hands holding handles 5 results in forward movement of the device. Stabilising rod 27 with adjustable length, keeps the skids 24 always in the same surface. 

1. Device for enabling persons with paresis of lower limps to walk, consisting of two vertical elements with handles for the user's hands, said elements being interconnected at their upper part by a jacket with an internal frame, and being equipped with armpit supports situated at the side of said vertical elements upper ends, further said vertical elements having fixed to their lower ends skids with foot platforms, and having clamping rings for the user's tights, fixed to said vertical elements in their lower portion, characterised by the fact, that the vertical elements (1) consist of at least two members, an upper member (2) and the lower member (3) being adjustable in relation to each other, the jacket (6) consists of a three sided frame with two shorter and one longer sides, joined by corners (7) at their respective ends, where the remaining longer side constitutes a closure (8), where the corners (7) at the longer side having respective connecting bushes (2), being adjustably connected with respective connecting bar (10), and the corners at the shorter side having connecting bushes (11) being adjustably connected with connecting bar (12) where the closure (8) consists of a member (13) having at its either side adjustable connectors (14), one of which being pivotally attached to one of connecting bar (12) of the shorter side of the jacket frame, the other being attachable to a lock (15) mounted at the end of respective connecting bar (12) of the opposite shorter side of the jacket frame, and where the shorter sides of the jacket frame, having mounted to them, from above, two adjustable armpit supports (17).
 2. The device according to claim 1, characterised by the fact, that clamping rings (19) for user's tights are mounted to their respective connectors (20), which in turn are mounted adjustably and pivotally to said vertical elements (1).
 3. The device according to claim 1, characterised by the fact, that the lower ends of the vertical elements (1) are flexibly secured into mounting bushes (23) fixed to the upper surfaces of the skids, near middle of the skids' respective external edges, where the flexible connection (25) constitutes a coupling of an elastic and flexible material
 4. The device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised by the fact, that to the external surface of the mounting bushes (23) are attached the respective ends of a stabilising rod (27) with adjustable length. 